1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for controlling a parking pawl engagement, and more particularly to a system and method of improving the consistency of the hybrid vehicle parking pawl engagement control through feedback based on the vehicle movement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional vehicles, i.e., vehicles having internal combustion engines, with automatic transmissions utilize a parking pawl to engage the transmission gears when the shifter is shifted into park. When fully engaged, the parking pawl locks up the output shaft of the transmission to prevent the vehicle from moving. Hybrid vehicles utilize similar parking pawls to prevent a planetary gear from moving while parked. In order to fully engage the parking pawl when the vehicle is parked, current hybrid vehicles apply a predetermined torque profile to move the planetary gear enough to let the parking pawl fully engage. However, due to various conditions, such as the hybrid vehicle being on an incline, the parking pawl may not be fully engaged after the torque application has completed. If the parking pawl was not fully engaged, the next time the engine starts or the planetary gear moves, the parking pawl will complete the engagement, which can cause an undesired vibration or movement of the vehicle. Further, current hybrid vehicles do not verify that the parking pawl was fully engaged after the parking pawl engagement control has been completed.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method directed to improving the consistency of the hybrid vehicle parking pawl engagement control.